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The Good Doctor
The Good Doctor is one of ABC’s newest shows on the air. Like it’s tv predecessors, the show does not shy away from drama, overly emphasized romantic relationships or unrealistic situations in which a miracle happens to save the day. However, The Good Doctor is a groundbreaking show in the sense that it tackles many difficult social issues present in today's society. The show centers around a young Surgical Resident at a prominent teaching hospital that is diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. His condition can be extremely limiting at times especially when dealing with social interactions, but his unique savant syndrome allows him to perform competitively in the medical realm. While the show does a very good job of showing some difficulties that people on the spectrum may experience in my opinion, I believe there could be improvement on using this as an opportunity to educate the millions of viewers about the many different levels of Autism / Aspergers Spectrum, not just high cognitively functioning Autism with savant syndrome. In episode 7 titled “22 Steps”, Shaun Murphy MD encounters and treats a patient on the Autism Spectrum. At a glance, the supporting characters and viewers alike can tell that both Shaun and the patient are similar in their diagnosis. However, Shaun makes it very clear that they are “not the same” and that their conditions are very different but does not offer an explanation as to why, and neither do the writers of the episode. Instead, the focus of the episode is how both individuals bond over shared experiences and how this is used as a form of understanding between the two. This point was very interesting because it showed how we as a society generally tend to group people of like traits together, whether or not they share any resemblance. ''' '''This show has a unique opportunity due to its popularity to educate many people about what it means to be on the Spectrum, the different levels of diagnosis and how to best understand and interact with individuals with this condition. For example, when a patient first asks Shaun if he is autistic, he can use that moment to explain what his diagnosed condition is, as well as savant syndrome, and how the patient can best interact with him. The supporting characters could also do a better job at trying to actively learn how to better understand him by clearly discussing what helps him to understand social interactions and what are stressors in his life that hinder his ability to function appropriately. Unfortunately, educating people about sensitive content can be difficult to do without appearing forceful but I do think it is extremely important to delve deeper into offering advice on how people can improve how they interact with individuals on all levels of the spectrum without having the pressure of asking in person. Many people are willing to learn but often do not have an opportunity to learn or the resources needed to do so. The Good Doctor can offer both, which can help to eliminate stigmas surrounding Autism and promoting education as well as acceptance across the board. Category:TV shows